are made of embossed gold or silver, and may easily cost as much as $150 each,
or even more. The mattress is covered in its turn with a quilt (lihap or
pĕlampap), made of coloured silk stuffed with cotton; upon this quilt is laid a
white cotton sheet, and the whole is surmounted by a row of colossal “pillows”
(of the size of small packing-cases), surmounted by others of moderate size.
A mosquito-curtain is hung over all, and the completed couch is called pĕlamin.
The head of the pĕlamin, it must be added, where the pillows are piled, is always
on the left-hand side as you look towards it.
The number of the pillows used is of the highest importance, as indicating the
rank of the contracting parties. The larger ones are about 5 feet in length and 2
feet in height by 1½ feet in width. They are covered with rich embroidery at the
exposed end, and are arranged in a horizontal row (sa-tunda), with their sides
just touching, in the front left-hand corner of the mosquito-curtain, so as to leave
a clear passage of about 3 feet behind them (at the back of the curtain) by which
the bride and bridegroom may escape to the pĕraduan after the ceremony. These
big pillows are white, with the exception of the embroidered ends, unless they
are intended for a Raja, when the royal colour (yellow) is of course substituted.
The one nearest the centre of the couch is called bantal tumpu, and usually has a
hexagonal or (in the case of a Raja) octagonal bolster deposited beside it.
The smaller pillows are red (occasionally purple, ungu, or orange, jingga), and
are called the “embroidered pillows” (bantal bĕrtĕkat, or bantal p’rada).
Occasionally a set of twelve small pillows is used (when they are called bantal
dua-b’las, or the Twelve Pillows), but often there is only one of them to each
“Big Pillow,” the set of twelve being said to be an innovation, probably
introduced from Malacca. Sometimes, however, when many small pillows are
piled upon each other, measures have to be taken to keep them from falling, in
which case the space between the piles is said to be filled up with wool or cotton
stuffing (pĕnyĕlat), the front being covered with embroidered cloth, the upper
border of which is carried up diagonally from the top of one pile to the top of the
next.
As regards the permissible number of big pillows, according to a scale in use at
Klang, the common people are allowed three big pillows (including the bantal
tumpu); a wealthy man, four; and a Headman, such as the ’Toh Kaya Kĕchil,
five; a Raja being presumably allowed one or two more. According to this scale